Holiday White Wine Guide

Holiday White Wine Guide

Nationally red wine is a bigger seller than white wines. Red wine and a big steak is always my favorite meal. However– there is always a time and place for beautiful white wines. Sometimes we get the idea that white wines are sugary sweet, fizzy pop wines that cannot be seriously enjoyed or discussed. Our home state of Minnesota is one of the biggest markets per capita for Moscato. We love our sweet stuff!

However there are plenty of great white wines in the world that have tons of character. Believe it or not—I think that the world of white wine has more flavors and types to explore than red. White wine can be fun and frivolous or deep, sexy and serious. Whatever you want you can find in the world of White wine.

Montinore Borealis white:
This is a great white wine from Oregon. Oregon wines are getting more and more positive press for their unique take on European style wines. Oregon wine is typically a little more nuanced and delicate than California wines. California wines love to hit you in the face with big bold flavors that overwhelm the senses. Oregon teases your taste buds with lively flavors that leave you wanting more! The Borealis is a blend of Muller-Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. It will have flavors of honeydew and guava. Try it with your next salad or even ham or turkey. Drink it at about 45 degrees to accent the great balance. About $14

Louis Laurent Vouvray:
Vouvray is probably my favorite white wine. Vouvray is in the Loire region of France east of Tours. Wines from Vouvray are almost always hundred percent Chenin Blanc. Chenin blanc can range from Sweeter to off dry. I prefer the slightly off dry wines. The Laurent has a nice bit of acidity. The acidity gives it a great mouth feel and viscous tones. It is great with food especially white meats and hard cheeses. This should be the go to wine for your Thanksgiving turkey!! About $16

Ca Lojera Lugana:
We know they have been making wine in Italy for thousands of years. They always make the wine to go with food. This beautiful white wine comes from the small family vineyards of Franco Tiraboschi and his daughter Alessandra. The Wolf on the labels is a reminder that black wolves used to protect the bandits who hid away in the houses along the lakes of the region. Ca Lojera uses hundred year old facilities but still use the most modern techniques in concert with the old ways to create a cool wine. The Lugana is the perfect wine for any appetizers and even salads!! ABOUT $16

Caricature Chardonnay
You cannot write a wine article with our talking about chardonnay. Chard is the number one selling varietal in the world. It is versatile and can go with food or just sitting around drinking with your friends. Caricature is a product of the Lange family. It got 93 out of 100 points from Beverage tasting institute. The labels are fun and the wine is even more fun. It has flavors of green apple and light tropical fruits. It will come across your tongue as slightly sweet—but it isn’t. It is the explosion of fruit flavors that hit you first to give the impression of sweet. It is actually voluptuous and full flavored. It will stand up to just about all foods! ABOUT $16

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Apollo Liquor has been owned by a single family and has been serving SE Minnesota since 1967. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and will bend over backwards to help a customer out. We are part of the Rochester community and hope to continue to serve our customers and the region for generations to come.